Our wedding week and ceremony ended up being PERFECT, even though we had a few hiccups along the way. A few months after we booked our wedding ceremony and reception at Palmetto Dunes, we received a phone call saying that they had somehow overbooked our wedding day and we would not be able to have our ceremony or reception at the location we requested. Carrie, the wedding planner, did anything and everything to make our special day happen on the day we had already set. She ended up upgrading our wedding to a more secluded beach, which they provided a shuttle to transport all of our guests to and from the ceremony. Since the reception area was booked as well, she also made accommodations so we would still be able to have a reception in Palmetto Dunes.
Overall our experience at Palmetto Dunes was a very positive one! At any point through the wedding planning if we had a question or concern we would email or call, and within hours we would have a response. This was really helpful because trying to plan a wedding in a different state can seem to be a little overwhelming. I strongly recommend having your wedding at Palmetto Dunes Resort.

A

Allison · Married on 05/21/2011

5.0

Quality of service:

5.0

Responsiveness:

5.0

Value:

5.0

Flexibility:

5.0

Professionalism:

5.0

We had the most amazing day on our wedding day at Palmetto Dunes. We picked Palmetto Dunes because we wanted a beautiful, relaxed setting for our wedding day, where our family and friends could enjoy themselves for a few days and celebrate with us. Basically a destination wedding, but state-side.

We picked right. Literally there was nothing that went wrong on our entire day (besides one of the groomsmen realizing he left his suit at home!). Most of our guests arrived Thursday or Friday. Palmetto Dunes helped us to organize a group golf outing, so 16 of us played Friday morning on the Hills course. They set up longest drive and closest to the pin, which was great to have and we had so much fun. That night we had a welcome cocktail reception with beer, wine, and light snacks (cheese and meet platters and a few passed hors d'oeuvres) at the Jones Pool, all provided by the Palmetto Dunes team. It was a perfect way to start the weekend and get to greet all of our guests that traveled down for it (most from CT, NY, DC). Honestly, I can't say enough about it - doing that welcome reception allowed us to have the most relaxed wedding day because we already had greeted everyone, so we didn't have to deal with all of the formalities on the actual wedding day.

The wedding day went off without a hitch. Our wedding was at the Dunes House. Pictures at the Hills course and off the main drive in those beautiful trees along the lagoon. We had the ceremony and reception on the deck at the Dunes House so that it was a little more private, and then went down on the beach later on for some more pictures. After the ceremony, we had a cocktail hour for an hour and didn't even notice the PD team pulling the tables out to their spots. removing chairs, and setting up for the reception. Then we sat down for dinner. The food was fantastic, and we had high standards for food - that was a big deal for us. They had just gotten a new chef before our wedding so we were nervous but had no reason to be. Our menu didn't change, and it was executed perfectly. We got a ton of compliments on the food (we did a buffet dinner). Decorations were so easy because the view of the beach here is amazing. I did floor length navy blue table clothes, and our centerpieces were rustic lanterns, surrounded by mason jars filled with flowers that I put together with my bridesmaids and my mom on Thursday before the wedding (ordered through the flower exchange - so easy). That was my favorite part - I really did not want to get overwhelmed and stressed out with a lot of the little details that I watched my friends do, so this was the perfect place because it really doesn't need much.

The entire thing was just amazing. Our families and friends were so impressed with everything. The service was spectacular, from the wedding planning help from Nicole and her team, to the golf team, to the guy that helped us dig through the dumpster at 7am on Sunday morning because I forgot to take my Nana's vintage pin off of my bouquet before I threw it out (yes that really happened, and the nicest guy ever helped us dig through bags and bags of trash). The hospitality of Palmetto Duines is the best I've ever experienced, and is what will make us go back again and again (we already rented a house for Christmas this year). One of the best parts was that our guests LOVED the mini-vacation that they got. There is something for everyone to do, and I know some of them are planning return trips already. We literally enjoyed every second of our wedding weekend, it was absolutely perfect and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a beautiful place to get married with no stress. And for the record I was very conscious of cost, I don't believe in spending your entire life savings on a wedding, and they worked with me on everything. I felt it was a very reasonable price for the quality of wedding we had, everything was top notch.

Couple other notes:
- Signes is THE place to get your cake. Don't even bother with anywhere else. I cannot wait until our anniversary to eat the top layer :) It was gorgeous and delicious. She listened to what I wanted and delivered. A friend that got married a month after us modeled her cake after ours because she loved it.
- Hair Designers was a fantastic place for updos for my bridal party. They were so accommodating, let us order lunch ahead of time and bring champagne, and every girl's hair looked amazing (that does not always happen!)
- Got my bouquet and bridesmaid bouquets and ceremony flower setup from Flowers by Sue, and was not that impressed. I had heard great things about her, but I did not want to pay a lot of money for something I was going to throw out. In the end I didn't really like my bouquet. I'm sure if I was willing to pay more I would have been happier, but I wasn't. I just think its a waste personally and was an easy place for me to cut back.
- Joey from Jay Maxwell Music by Request was AWESOME. Jazz duo from Charleston Jazz was also great.

T

Tracy · Married on 09/25/2010

5.0

Quality of service:

5.0

Responsiveness:

5.0

Value:

5.0

Flexibility:

5.0

Professionalism:

5.0

All my husband and I knew was that we wanted a beach wedding on the East Coast. We had never been to Hilton Head, SC before. We fell in love with Palmetto Dunes the minute we saw it! We got married barefoot on the beach and had the reception at the Dunes House following the ceremony. Everything was outside on the beach! What a beautiful location to get married! We had a very positive experience from the start working with Nicole Guy. She was great to work with and knew just how to make the day special. She made the planning easy as we were doing everything long distance. The food was fantastic and the venue was perfect! The servers/bartenders that serviced our event were great. We would highly recommend this venue to anyone looking for that perfect beach wedding!

R

Reyna · Married on 05/17/2010

5.0

Quality of service:

5.0

Responsiveness:

5.0

Value:

5.0

Flexibility:

5.0

Professionalism:

5.0

This was the best day of my life! Such a stress free time planning the wedding and this was shocking seeing as I was doing it all over the phone and email. Went off without a hitch! We used the Dunes House and everyone had a great time. Our guests are talking about our wedding (and the food) years later:)

J

James · Married on 10/14/2017

4.8

Quality of service:

5.0

Responsiveness:

5.0

Value:

4.5

Flexibility:

5.0

Professionalism:

5.0

Lauren and Courtney were, basically, true wedding planners that came as part of our Dunes House wedding package. I went into this not knowing ANYTHING as far as what I was supposed to do and these two women made me feel like an old pro! My wife and I were incredibly pleased with the entire day and the attention to detail was second to none. Thanks so much, you two. We cannot recommend the Dunes House, and the entire Palmetto Dunes team, enough!

Os & Penny

User3073548 · 2+ years ago

4.8

Quality of service:

4.5

Responsiveness:

5.0

Value:

5.0

Flexibility:

5.0

Professionalism:

5.0

We planned our wedding at Palmetto Dunes from Washington, DC. even through a few changes in staffing everything came together perfectly. Lou Anne was so helpful, we had to change our reception site 2 days before the wedding due to weather and she was accommodating and met with us so we could design a floor plan for the new space at the last minute. She wanted everything for our big day to be perfect, and it was!

Sent on 11/25/2014

Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort's reply:

We are so glad that you enjoyed your big day! Thank you for your feedback and we look forward to seeing you again. Congratulations! We wish you endless joy.

K

Kerrington · Married on 08/02/2014

4.8

Quality of service:

5.0

Responsiveness:

5.0

Value:

5.0

Flexibility:

5.0

Professionalism:

4.5

Lindsay Thompson did a great job on our wedding! One issue came up and she fixed it quickly and efficiently. I would recommend this resort and Lindsay to anyone who is interested in a beach wedding!

V

Vanessa · Married on 10/15/2011

4.8

Quality of service:

5.0

Responsiveness:

4.5

Value:

5.0

Flexibility:

5.0

Professionalism:

5.0

We had our wedding at the Dunes House in the Palmetto Dunes Resort this October and words cannot describe how perfect our big day was. We were planning a destination wedding and had never even been to Hilton Head. We found the Dunes House online and knew it was the spot for us. Anne was amazing from day one. She answered countless questions through emails and phone calls and did anything and everything to assist us on the big day. Kristin was equally amazing. She took a billion boxes of stuff we hauled down for decor and transformed it into the wedding of my dream - but even better. She was right there from the minute the party started to lighting the very last sparkler. Willy was my hero throughout the weekend, he made sure everything went smoothly for our rehearsal dinner and for the reception. He even helped us pack up the next day! Kim was an awesome bar manager and totally put up with my cray family all weekend! The Dunes House itself is a gem and can transformed into nearly whatever you desire. And the FOOD!!!!!! I still catch myself day dreaming about the food. It was incredible!!!! Each and every appetizer and entree was executed to perfection. All of my guests just keep raving about it! I personally reccomend the Dunes House and its all star crew. My big day was all that I had imagined and more and I owe it all to them!

M

mark · Married on 09/01/2013

4.8

Quality of service:

5.0

Responsiveness:

5.0

Value:

4.0

Flexibility:

5.0

Professionalism:

5.0

Great location for a beach wedding. Our guests were very pleased with the view, the bar service, the bar selection, the food and the overall expereince. It's not cheap to get married in Hilton Head but Palmetto Dunes offers reasonable prices for their venue and catering.

User2163564 · 2+ years ago

4.8

Quality of service:

5.0

Responsiveness:

5.0

Value:

4.5

Flexibility:

5.0

Professionalism:

4.5

Eveyone was amazing and made my day worry free. With the threat of storms all day, the staff waited until the last minute to make sure that my outdoor event would go off without a hitch. As an indecisive bride, I appreciated the recommendations and help that Anne Graves provided. I basically dropped off a load of decorations and just told them to use their own creative sense. All my talbes and everything turened out beautiful. The food was beyond my expectations. I expected the food to not taste like what we had for our tasting, as cooking for over 70 is much different then for 4. To my suprise the food tasted exactly like our tasting and I continue to get rave compliments on the food today.

H

Krista · Married on 05/04/2012

4.8

Quality of service:

5.0

Responsiveness:

5.0

Value:

4.0

Flexibility:

5.0

Professionalism:

5.0

My husband and I highly recommend Palmetto Dunes Resort - we were thrilled with every aspect of our wedding. Anne Graves was wonderful to work with, and she made destination wedding planning easy with quick email and phone responses. Our ceremony was held on the beach, with reception on the deck of the Dunes House. The food was EXCELLENT, and our guests also raved about the bartenders (very friendly and fun). We wouldn't change a thing, and I highly recommend you consider Palmetto Dunes Resort.

M

Michelle · Married on 09/01/2013

4.6

Quality of service:

5.0

Responsiveness:

4.0

Value:

4.0

Flexibility:

5.0

Professionalism:

5.0

I'm so happy we chose The Dunes House for our wedding. The food, the bar, the view, the lighting... Everything was amazing! Getting married in Hilton Head isn't cheap but Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort had reasonable prices for the quality they provide.

K

Krista · Married on 06/03/2011

4.6

Quality of service:

4.5

Responsiveness:

4.5

Value:

4.5

Flexibility:

4.5

Professionalism:

5.0

My husband and I rented a home for the week on Palmetto Dunes Resort and held the ceremony and reception in the back yard of the home! It was absolutely beautiful! We planned the wedding from out of state, so we weren't really sure how everything was going to turn out! It was better than we could have possibly imagined! We ran into one little bump in the road (regarding the noise ordinance..and a whiny neighbor that had been complaining prior to our arrival)! This led to the possibility of us having to hold the reception inside the house which we were not happy about! It turns out though that the resort fought for what we really wanted and signed the contract for! We were able to do as we planned all along and everything turned out beautifully! Nicole, the resorts catering and events manager, was absolutely wonderful to work with! The food was great!! We can't wait to go back to the resort for our anniversary!!

A

Ashley · Married on 04/13/2014

4.4

Quality of service:

4.5

Responsiveness:

5.0

Value:

4.0

Flexibility:

4.0

Professionalism:

5.0

Lindsay Thompson was very helpful and responsive the entire time we were planning our wedding. She was there during our ceremony to ensure that everything went as planned. The ceremony and reception was beautiful. I couldn't have asked for a better venue. My only complaint was that it would have been nice to have a to-go plate of food to take with us since we wanted to visit with our guests during the reception instead of eating the delicious food. All of our guests were impressed with the food and the venue. I would highly recommend Palmetto Dunes, in fact - I already have recommended them to two friends that are planning weddings for the near future. :-)

S

Stephanie · Married on 06/01/2013

4.4

Quality of service:

5.0

Responsiveness:

4.5

Value:

4.0

Flexibility:

4.0

Professionalism:

5.0

Me and my husband were married in June on Hilton head island. Our ceremony was on the beach followed by the reception at the Arthur hills golf course club house. We chose to have a destination wedding and did all of the planning from michigan. Carrie Felix was absolutely amazing in every aspect of planning the wedding. She responded in a timely fashion, and I even had things sent to her office so traveling wasn't such a nightmare. The night was better than I could ever hoped for. The only down fall to Arthur hills as a reception site is that they have a quite ordinance by 10pm. I would have liked the night to last forever!

B

Brandi · Married on 05/28/2011

4.0

Quality of service:

4.0

Responsiveness:

4.0

Value:

4.0

Flexibility:

4.0

Professionalism:

4.0

We rented a private home at Palmetto Dunes to have our wedding and reception in the back yard (46 Sea Lane). It was absolutely breathtaking. We couldn't have asked for a more picturesque place to have our wedding. What I didn't like was this:

We were told that we could have the event going until 10PM before we had to bring it inside. We agreed to this and had every intention of partying it up until that time. During our ceremony, neighbors across the lagoon were watching us with binoculars and then proceeded to call security (the first time) right after we cut the cake. Keep in mind that it was still daylight out at this point (dusk, but daylight nonetheless). The cops came and even said our music wasn't really loud, but they came back again, gave the head caterer a warning and told us if they had to come back, then we would be fined $1000. It was only about 9PM when they told us this. I told them our agreement with the caterer, but they just weren't in a good mood that night, I suppose. Since we were having issues, I looked for our event manager, Nicole, who was nowhere to be found. We were told that she left, so I called her. I got no answer. She later called back and said "yeah, just bring it inside". Well, easy for you to say when you didn't spend the $20,000 we just dropped on our wedding. Around 9:30, we came into the house and continued the party. I enjoyed myself immensely because after all, it was our wedding day and we weren't going to let this ruin it. But, let me run the timeline by you:

5:30 Ceremony started (this was the first time I saw everything, as I was gone and getting ready all day)
6-7 Cocktail hour (groom and I were out front taking pictures) - music was a string trio at this point
7-8 Dinner, low music by DJ
8 - First time cops showed up, music still low (so low, in fact, that I asked my groom to have the DJ turn it up)
9:15 - Second time cops showed up
9:30 - Party brought inside

I think we can all agree that $20,000 is a TON of money for a 4 hour event that we didn't even get to enjoy in it's entirety. All we wanted to do was stay outside until 10 on a Saturday. The kicker was that the next day when we checked out of the house, the front desk told us that if we would have been fined, then Palmetto Dunes would have paid it -- wish we would have known this, we would have stayed outside until 10, but our event manager told us to come inside.

My suggestion is this......if you are going to rent a private residence in Palmetto Dunes, my suggestion would be to have an earlier wedding with no DJ. If you want a party, utilize one of their other facilities on-site (such as the Dunes House). If we would have known that we would have issues with cops being called on us for no good reason, we would not have held our event at a private home. But we were assured time and time again that we had until 10 and that noise would be no issue. Or, have in your contract that if any fines are incurred before 10 PM, that Palmetto Dunes will be responsible for paying them.

I do applaud Palmetto Dunes for discounting our final bill because of the issue without us ever asking for this. But, a discount can't undo stress on your wedding day.

S

Sara · Married on 05/06/2017

2.2

Quality of service:

2.0

Responsiveness:

3.0

Value:

1.0

Flexibility:

2.0

Professionalism:

3.0

I’d like to start by saying Courtney who assisted us through the process was kind and supportive.
The reason for low scoring was everything that occurred the day of, there were several issues that should never have occurred and unfortunately had a huge impact on my experience.
To start with the ceremony, we were required to pay quite a large fee to have the ceremony occur on the greens rather than the beach. With a large fee you have higher expectations. I was told the greens on the driving range would be cleaned up (the bright yellow targets and tripping hazards would be removed and they were not) and the location of the ceremony was suppose to be much further back than it was placed, leaving everyone on a downslope. With the fee we had reserved this area, however precautions were not takin to limit golf cart traffic and we had to stop golfers from cutting off my aisle right before I walked down the aisle. Unfortunately we were not able to be part of cocktail hour because of photos however the food I did see was not impressive.
On to the reception. Paid for upgraded full length linens, did not receive them or a reason why/refund. Wanted an intimate arrangement for tables, tables space awkwardly as far apart as possible. Wanted healthy ingredients to be included in salad, literally only ended up with the 3 items we suggested go in salad as the salad. Wanted family style service, ended up with just a few giant bowls to serve way to many guests.
It was heart breaking to put so much time and money into this event and have it turn out as it did.
Please clean up service and have space heaters available for guests to use on those unexpectedly cold nights.

T

test · Married on 09/20/2014

0.4

Quality of service:

0.5

Responsiveness:

0.5

Value:

0.5

Flexibility:

0.5

Professionalism:

0.5

Great food and venue although the professionalism is terrible... Dealt with 3 different catering/event representatives during a 1 year period and were swindled out of $$$$1500.00... Think again before booking. Just sought legal council in Savannah GA to review the matter... Ridiculous..... Book Elsewhere...

Sent on 10/07/2014

Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort's reply:

As we discussed on the phone, we are happy that we were able to come to an agreeable arrangement on this with you. Misunderstandings sometimes happen, but our focus is always on customer service and making sure the customer is happy. We're glad we were able to work this out to your satisfaction.